Manchester United boss Sir Alex Ferguson has lit the blue touch paper with claims of sweeteners demanded by agents on behalf of their players. Ferguson said last night that "one wanted us to get a box of flats" and, in an interview with RTE Radio 1, the 69-year-old told another story of an agent who wanted his client - a striker - to be paid a bonus every time he scored.
Ferguson said: "I said (to the United board), 'Can you please remind him that's why we are buying in the first place - because he's a goalscorer'. This is what you're dealing with. It's unbelievable.
"I get annoyed when managers phone me and say such and such a player - and I'm talking about players who couldn't lace my reserve team's boots - is asking for £1million a year.
"That's when it's disappointing . . . the way some agents work a miracle by getting these terms for players who are not stars.
"At United I think most of my first-team players deserve what they're getting. They're playing in front of 75,000 people every week, they're achieving, successful, good footballers, honest professionals.
"They produce on the field, they bring people into the grounds, and they deserve it. But there are some players at other clubs who get paid enormous amounts of money and I don't know why."
